1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to the inhibition of cell proliferation and/or cell matrix production and/or cell movement (chemotaxis) and/or T cell activation and proliferation using of quinoline/quinoxaline compounds which are useful protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).
Cellular signaling is mediated through a system of interactions which include cell-cell contact or cell-matrix contact or extracellular receptor-substrate contact. The extracellular signal is often communicated to other parts of the cell via a tyrosine kinase mediated phosphorylation event which affects substrate proteins downstream of the cell membrane bound signaling complex. A specific set of receptor-enzymes such as the insulin receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) or platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGF-R) are examples of tyrosine kinase enzymes which are involved in cellular signaling. Autophosphorylation of the enzyme is required for efficient enzyme-mediated phosphorylation of substrate proteins containing tyrosine residues. These substrates are known to be responsible for a variety of cellular events including cellular proliferation, cellular matrix production, cellular migration and apoptosis to name a few.
It is understood that a large number of disease states are caused by either uncontrolled reproduction of cells or overproduction of matrix or poorly regulated programmed cell death (apoptosis). These disease states involve a variety of cell types and include disorders such as leukemia, cancer, glioblastoma, psoriasis, inflammatory diseases, bone diseases, fibrotic diseases, atherosclerosis and restenosis occurring subsequent to angioplasty of the coronary, femoral or kidney arteries or, fibroproliferative disease such as in arthritis, fibrosis of the lung, kidney and liver. In addition, deregulated cellular proliferative conditions follow from coronary bypass surgery. The inhibition of tyrosine kinase activity is believed to have utility in the control of uncontrolled reproduction of cells or overproduction of matrix or poorly regulated programmed cell death (apoptosis).
It is also known that certain tyrosine kinase inhibitors can interact with more than one type of tyrosine kinase enzyme. Several tyrosine kinase enzymes are critical for the normal function of the body. For instance, it would be undesirable to inhibit insulin action in most normal circumstances. Therefore, compounds which inhibit PDGF-R tyrosine kinase activity at concentrations less than the concentrations effective in inhibiting the insulin receptor kinase could provide valuable agents for the selective treatment of diseases characterized by cell proliferation and/or cell matrix production and/or cell movement (chemotaxis) such as restenosis.
This invention relates to the modulation and/or inhibition of cell signaling, cell proliferation, extracellular matrix production, chemotaxis, the control of abnormal cell growth and cell inflammatory response. More specifically, this invention relates to the use of substituted quinoxaline compounds which exhibit selective inhibition of differentiation, proliferation or mediator release by effectively inhibiting platelet-derived growth factor-receptor (PDGF-R) tyrosine kinase activity and/or Lck tyrosine kinase activity.
2. Reported Developments
A number of literature reports describe tyrosine kinase inhibitors which are selective for tyrosine kinase receptor enzymes such as EGF-R or PDGF-R or non-receptor cytosolic tyrosine kinase enzymes such as v-abl, p56lck or c-src. Recent reviews by Spada and Myers (Exp. Opin. Ther. Patents 1995, 5(8), 805) and Bridges (Exp. Opin. Ther. Patents 1995, 5(12), 1245) summarize the literature for tyrosine kinase inhibitors and EGF-R selective inhibitors respectively. Additionally Law and Lydon have summarized the anticancer potential of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (Emerging Drugs: The Prospect For Improved Medicines 1996, 241-260).
Known inhibitors of PDGF-R tyrosine kinase activity includes quinoline-based inhibitors reported by Maguire et al. (J. Med. Chem. 1994, 37, 2129), and by Dolle et al. (J. Med. Chem. 1994, 37, 2627). A class of phenylamino-pyrimidine-based inhibitors was recently reported by Traxler et al. in EP 564409 and by Zimmerman, J.; and Traxler, P. et al. (Biorg. & Med. Chem. Lett. 1996, 6(11), 1221-1226) and by Buchdunger, E. et al. (Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 1995, 92, 2558). Despite the progress in the field there are no agents from these classes of compounds that have been approved for use in humans for treating proliferative disease.
The correlation between the multifactorial disease of restenosis with PDGF and PDGF-R is well-documented throughout the scientific literature. However, recent developments into the understanding of fibrotic diseases of the lung (Antoniades, H. N.; et al. J. Clin. Invest. 1990, 86, 1055), kidney and liver (Peterson, T. C. Hepatology, 1993, 17, 486) have also implicated PDGF and PDGF-R as playing a role. For instance glomerulonephritis is a major cause of renal failure and PDGF has been identified to be a potent mitogen for mesangial cells in vitro as demonstrated by Shultz et al. (Am. J. Physiol. 1988, 255, F674) and by Floege, et al. (Clin. Exp. Immun. 1991, 86, 334). It has been reported by Thornton, S. C.; et al. (Clin. Exp. Immun. 1991, 86, 79) that TNF-alpha and PDGF (obtained from human rheumatoid arthritis patients) are the major cytokines involved in proliferation of synovial cells. Furthermore, specific tumor cell types have been identified (see Silver, B. J., BioFactors, 1992, 3, 217) such as glioblastoma and Kaposi's sarcoma which overexpress either the PDGF protein or receptor thus leading to the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells via an autocrine or paracrine mechanism. Therefore, it is anticipated that a PDGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor would be useful in treating a variety of seemingly unrelated human disease conditions that can be characterized by the involvement of PDGF and or PDGF-R in their etiology.
The role of various non-receptor tyrosine kinases such as p56lck (hereinafter “Lck”) in inflammation-related conditions involving T cell activation and proliferation has been reviewed by Hanke, et al (Inflamm. Res. 1995, 44, 357) and by Bolen and Brugge (Ann. Rev. Immunol., 1997, 15, 371). These inflammatory conditions include allergy, autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis and transplant rejection. Another recent review summarizes various classes of tyrosine kinase inhibitors including compounds having Lck inhibitory activity (Groundwater, et. al Progress in Medicinal Chemistry, 1996, 33, 233). Inhibitors of Lck tyrosine kinase activity include several natural products which are generally non-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as staurosporine, genistein, certain flavones and erbstatin. Damnacanthol was recently reported to be a low nM inhibitor of Lck (Faltynek, et. al, Biochemistry, 1995, 34, 12404). Examples of synthetic Lck inhibitors include: a series of dihydroxy-isoquinoline inhibitors reported as having low micromolar to submicromolar activity (Burke, et. al J. Med. Chem. 1993, 36, 425); and a quinoline derivative found to be much less active having an Lck IC50 of 610 micromolar. Researchers have also disclosed a series of 4-substituted quinazolines that inhibit Lck in the low micromolar to submicromolar range (Myers et al, WO95/15758 and Myers, et. al Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 1997, 7, 417). Researchers at Pfizer (Hanke, et. al J. Biol. Chem. 1996, 271, 695) have disclosed two specific pyrazolopyrimidine inhibitors known as PP1 and PP2 which have low nanomolar potency against Lck and Fyn. (another Src-family kinase). No Lck inhibitory has been reported regarding quinoline or quinoxaline based compounds. Therefore, it is anticipated that a quinoline or quinoxaline based inhibitor of Lck tyrosine kinase activity could be useful in treating a variety of seemingly unrelated human disease conditions that can be characterized by the involvement of Lck tyrosine kinase signaling in their etiology.